CPU

Video

Intel

Nvidia

The official proprietary nvidia drivers for linux don't support Nvidia Optimus yet. Should be possible to disable the Intel card and boot up with the nouveau drivers (which the system auto-detects and uses) but haven't tested it.

Switching graphic cards

This laptop sports two gpus. The Intel GMA HD (Core ix integrated) and the Nvidia Geforce GT 335M, with the ability to swith granted by Nvidia Optimus technology.

However, the official proprietary nvidia drivers for linux don't support Nvidia Optimus yet. Some experimental work is being done with Nouveau and hybrid graphics [1]

Kernel 2.6.34 includes vgaswitcheroo which, in theory, makes it possible to switch between graphic cards. Despite working with Intel/Ati[2], it is still not working with Intel/Nvidia. That should change with kernel 2.6.35[3][4].

Disabling the Nvidia card

While the "normal" method isn't working (or if you aren't interested in using the Nvidia card in Linux, in order to disable it, so that it doesn't consume power, the following hack is available[5][6].

What it is: A kernel module that enables you to call parameterless ACPI methods by writing
the method name to /proc/acpi/call, e.g. to turn off discrete graphics card in
a dual graphics environment (like NVIDIA Optimus).

Touchpad

However, you'll see that the system is misinterpreting the touchpad for a wheel mouse. This is because this laptop (and so many others recently) is using a Elantech Touchpad. In order to fix it, enter this in the command line:

Please do note that, while I settled with these coordinates, they may require tuning. [8]

Working 10-synaptics.conf

Here's a fully working 10-synaptics.conf with Edge Scrolling, Two Finger Scrolling and with middle mouse click (LTCornerButton and RTCornerButton) on the top corners activated. Circular Scrolling works, but it's deactivated.

Webcam

This device as already been reported and will be fixed in future v4l-utils releases. Follow these instructions, handed out by one of the devs, for a temporary fix.

You can download this new version here:
[http://people.fedoraproject.org/~jwrdegoede/v4l-utils-0.8.1-test.tar.gz]
Install
-----------------------------------
Howto install and test v4l-utils depends on your system. There are
different instructions for if you have a 32 bit system or a 64 bit system.
which is using multilib. A 64 bit system without multilib is the same as
a 32 bit system.
To find out what you have do:
ls -d /usr/lib64
If this command gives a "No such file or directory" error, use the
Non multilib instructions, if the second command is successfull, you have multilib,
to find out which version (dubbed Fedora and Ubuntu multilib, because those are
the most well known examples, do):
ls -d /usr/lib32
If this command gives a "No such file or directory" error, use the Fedora multilib
instructions. If this command succeeds use the Ubuntu multilib instructions. Note
the ubuntu multilib instructions also apply to gentoo.
Non multilib instructions:
-------------------------------
tar xvfz v4l-utils-<version>.tar.gz
cd v4l-utils-<version>/lib
make PREFIX=/usr
sudo make install PREFIX=/usr
Fedora Multilib instructions:
-----------------------------------
Basic 64 bit install:
tar xvfz v4l-utils-<version>.tar.gz
cd v4l-utils-<version>/lib
make PREFIX=/usr LIBDIR=/usr/lib64
sudo make install PREFIX=/usr LIBDIR=/usr/lib64
If you also want to use 32 bit apps (such as skype), you
will need to have the 32 bit libc headers installed, on Fedora
this can be done like this:
Fedora 10-: "sudo yum install glibc-devel.i386"
Fedora 11: "sudo yum install glibc-devel.i586"
Fedora 12+: "sudo yum install glibc-devel.i686"
Then do:
make clean
make PREFIX=/usr CFLAGS=-m32 LDFLAGS=-m32
sudo make install PREFIX=/usr
Ubuntu Multilib instructions:
-----------------------------------
tar xvfz v4l-utils-<version>.tar.gz
cd v4l-utils-<version>/lib
make PREFIX=/usr
sudo make install PREFIX=/usr
If you also want to use 32 bit apps (such as skype), you
will need to have the 32 bit libc headers installed, on Ubuntu
this can be done like this:
sudo apt-get install libc6-dev-i386
On gentoo this can be done like this:
sudo emerge -v app-emulation/emul-linux-x86-compat
Then do:
make clean
make PREFIX=/usr CFLAGS=-m32 LDFLAGS=-m32 LIBDIR=/usr/lib32
sudo make install PREFIX=/usr LIBDIR=/usr/lib32

Function Keys

Most of them do work. Exceptions are the multimedia player commands (fn+arrows), fn+c, fn+v and fn+F9 (which should disable the touchpad).